Humpback Whale

Photo: Cédric de Foucault · CC BY-NC-SA

The waters around Nosy Mitsio are a critical humpback whale nursery where mothers raise calves between July and September before returning to Antarctic feeding grounds. Madagascar's northwest coast hosts one of the Indian Ocean's most significant Southern Hemisphere populations — estimated at around 10,000 individuals in this breeding stock. Divers regularly hear complex male songs resonating through the water column during surface intervals, and in-water encounters in shallow areas have been documented, though approaching whales requires permits and respectful technique.